2017 Rock-N-Roll Sevens Rugby Tournament and Festival

Registration and Tournament Information

About the Tournament:

Established in 1998. In this it’s 19th year, Rock-n-Roll Sevens continually strives to improve the product, with the aim of earning USA Rugby Sevens National Championship Qualifier divisions every year.
This year we are substantially improving our Food & Beverage offerings, upgrading Hospitality Areas for Referees and Team Coaches, as well as offering tented, exclusive VIP areas for teams and individuals willing to make the extra investment. This year’s Tournament will feature 60 teams (capacity) of some of the best talent in the Midwest region. This is a free spectator event! Come enjoy our game!

Teams and Brackets

The Rock-n-Roll Sevens Tournament is one of the largest summer rugby events in the USA and attracts over 60 rugby teams from High Schools through Adult Sevens Clubs and everything in between. Last year’s event had the following brackets:

LATE ENTRY FEE:

Teams and division listings will be updated on clevelandcrusadersrugby.com as they are received.

***NEW THIS TOURNAMENT: EXCLUSIVE TENTED VIP AREA***

For an additional investment of $100, you gain access to your own private viewing area between premier fields #1 and #2 under a private 10×10 tent. This fenced-off VIP area will have private access to Ice, Ice Baths, and complimentary bottled water (as supplies dictate)!

VIP Tents are provided on a limited, first-come-first-serve basis.

Registration is now Closed!

We have reached our 60 team capacity. See you with more space next year!

***Official Tournament Team Participant Package and Insurance Waivers will be sent out in the weeks prior to the tournament with finalized information and documentation. Information provided here is subject to change and will be updated accordingly.***

About the Tournament:

Established in 1998. In this it’s 19th year, Rock-n-Roll Sevens continually strives to improve the product, with the aim of earning Sevens Qualifier divisions every year.
This year we are substantially improving our Food & Beverage offerings, upgrading Hospitality Areas for Referees and Team Coaches, as well as offering tented, exclusive VIP areas for teams and individuals willing to make the extra investment. This year’s Tournament will feature 60 teams (capacity) of some of the best talent in the Midwest region. This is a free spectator event! Come enjoy our game!

***NEW THIS TOURNAMENT: EXCLUSIVE TENTED VIP AREA***

For an additional investment of $100, you gain access to your own private viewing area between premier fields #1 and #2 under a private 10×10 tent. This fenced-off VIP area will have private access to Ice, Ice Baths, and complimentary bottled water (as supplies dictate)!

VIP Tents are provided on a limited, first-come-first-serve basis. Please ask for availability.

Make checks payable to Cleveland Crusaders RFC. Include team name and all contact information for your team’s administrator.

INSURANCE NOTE:

This event will be a USA Rugby sanctioned event; therefore, USA Rugby Liability Insurance granted through CIPP registration will be effective during the games played in the Cleveland Crusaders Rock-n-Roll Sevens Rugby Tournament. Additionally because we place extreme importance in the health and care of our participants, we purchase Commercial Liability Insurance with coverage of equal to or above $1,000,000.00 each injury occurrence with each team’s compliance with appropriate documentation provided in the Official Tournament Team Participant Package and Insurance Waivers sent out in the weeks prior to the tournament.

Personal Code of Conduct

The Rock-n-Roll Sevens Tournament hosts teams and spectators with a varied degree of rugby experience, including a significant number of minors. As such, we expect all participants and spectators to adhere to a basic code of conduct so as to neither endanger themselves or others nor jeopardize the success and reputation of the Tournament.

Some examples of proper conduct expected from all attendees include, but is not limited to, the following:

Show respect for match officials and other players.

Make safety your first responsibility on and off the pitch.

Compete within the Laws of the game.

Applaud good play.

Verbally support in a proactive manner.

Do not become involved in physical aggression.

Do not change kit out in the open. Either purchase a VIP Tent, bring a tent to change in, or use the available restrooms.

Restrooms are available, so please use them (and not just for changing kit).

Overnight camping or grilling is not permitted. Pop-up tents to protect from the sun are allowed during the daylight hours. You may also purchase a VIP Area Tent with a premier viewing location of the tournament and fenced between Fields #1 and #2 for an additional $100 investment.

Alcohol consumption is NOT permitted in Krueger Park. This is a public park and patrolled by the City of Mentor Police. Violators… are on your own.

Garbage and recycling containers are provided. Make every effort to use them throughout the day, and do a final ‘sweep’ of your area when you are leaving the venue.

Please do not park on Chillicothe Road or any Emergency Response Vehicle ingress or egress to the site, you will be towed by the City of Mentor at your own expense.

Rugby is a full-contact sport and on-field safety is the first responsibility of all players, coaches, referees and other participants. Ensure that you and your teammates are familiar with and practice safe rugby technique at all times.

Team Check-In, Match Schedule & Results Reporting

Team Representatives must Check-In at the Tournament Administration Pavilion at least 30 minutes prior to their first scheduled match of the day. Each team in the tournament will play 3 matches regardless of division, barring unforeseen forfeits. Due to the large number of teams, varying arrival times and the early start it is not possible to get all Captains to meet prior to the tournament. We will send each team an Official Tournament Team Participant Package and Insurance Waivers in the weeks prior to the tournament with the finalized information and documentation.

We ask that your TEAM BE READY TO PLAY AT LEAST TEN (10) MINUTES BEFORE YOUR GAME TIME AT YOUR ASSIGNED PITCH, READY TO MEET WITH YOUR SCHEDULED REFEREE(S) FOR PROMPT GAMEPLAY.

Schedules and brackets will be posted online at clevelandcrusadersrugby.com. Please note that posted schedules and brackets are TENTATIVE and subject to change at the discretion of the tournament directors. We strongly suggest that you check the schedule for possible changes the evening before the tournament. Final schedules and brackets will be posted on-site at the event along the Tournament Administration Pavilion.

***NEW THIS TOURNAMENT: RESULTS REPORTING***
Upon the completion of each match, it is the responsibility of the winning/victorious team to acquire the Official Match Reporting Sheet from the Officiant and hand-deliver the sheet to the Scheduling Director at the Administration Pavilion. FAILURE TO REPORT YOUR RESULTS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE COMPLETION OF YOUR MATCH WILL RESULT IN YOUR MATCH BEING RECORDED AS A DRAW.

Eligibility, Roster & Substitutions

Rosters will be limited to 12 players for USA Rugby Qualifier matches, or 16 players for all other divisions. High School players must be under 19 and have NOT played any college rugby. Each team must submit a Roster/Waiver Form (included in the Official Tournament Team Participant Package and Insurance Waivers to be sent prior to the Tournament) to the Tournament Director prior to the requested date of submission. All National Qualifier players MUST provide an active CIPP registration number on the roster/waiver. Every National Qualifier players must have a valid form of Photo Identification that will be checked against the final roster prior to your team’s matches as deemed appropriate by Tournament Officials.

Regardless of the bracket being played, the active roster for any one match remains capped at 12 players, and players may not move between teams nor brackets.

A player may only play for one team in a bracket, and playing of an individual that is not on the team roster will result in the forfeiture of that match. A player sent off for any reason will be considered OUT of the tournament and not permitted to play for another team, as well as reported to the Midwest Referee Society for additional sanction as deemed appropriate.

As of June 18, 2016 and following World Rugby Sevens Law Variation 3.4, a team may substitute the same player more than once as long as no more than 5 substitutions are made in total in any one game.

Non-National Qualifier Divisions Competition Rules and Regulations

All matches in the Qualifier Series will be held in accordance with the Laws of the Game – as specified by the International Rugby Board – as well as any and all applicable guidelines set forth by USA Rugby and the MCR.

All matches will be played at Krueger Park in beautiful Mentor, Ohio. Matches will be played every 20 minutes (i.e. 8:00, 8:20, 8:40, etc…) and will consist of two, 7-minute halves and a 2-minute half-time. Teams more than 2 minutes late for a scheduled match will forfeit that match.

To provide appropriate competition for all participants, the tournament is organized into Divisions based on age, gender and skill-level. The teams in each division are then sorted into one or more brackets that will compete in Seeding Rounds (round-robin format) and Playoff and Championship Rounds. Each team will play 3 matches in the Seeding Round (barring unforeseen forfeits). The format of the Seeding Round and advancement to the Playoff Rounds is based on the total number of teams in the Division and will be displayed on-site during the event.

Seeding Round

Teams in the seeding round will be seeded in advance by the Tournament Scheduling Director. Based first upon first come first served registration, brackets of four teams will be created, with the first bracket containing the first-seeded team, the second bracket containing the second-seeded team and so on. When one team has been assigned to each bracket, the remaining seeds will be assigned to each bracket by the Tournament through a random draw. The drawing will ideally will occur the weekend prior to the tournament. But it shall be done no later than by the Wednesday prior to the tournament.

In the event the number of teams does not allow for four brackets of four teams, the Tournament will still be responsible for randomly seeding the teams into brackets using a standard template approved by the MWFU prior to the start of the Series. Furthermore the MCR has a bracket template for six, 10, 12 and 14 team events.

Matches in the Seeding round will consist of two seven-minute halves and a two-minute halftime. Each team will play three matches in the seeding round – barring unforeseen forfeits, ideally in four four-team brackets. In each group, a team plays a single match against each of the other teams in the brackets. Tie-breakers will not be played for any draws in the Seeding round and forfeits will automatically be assigned a score of 28-0 – four converted tries – in favor of the team that does not forfeit.

In the event of a tie when ranking TWO OR MORE TEAMS for the Playoff round,. The tie will be broken by applying the following Tie Breakers, IN SEQUENCE UNTIL the tie (s) is (are) broken for ALL teams originally involved in the tie or ties and the corresponding seeds are awarded: Record, Head-to-Head, Tries Scored, Points Scored, Try Differential, Point Differential, Penalty Kicks and Coin Toss.

Playoff Rounds

The results of the Seeding Matches will be used to rank the teams, and those top eight teams with the best records will advance to the Playoff round. At most, eight teams will advance to the Playoff round. The top four teams will comprise the Cup division and the remaining teams will comprise the Plate division.

In the event of a tie when ranking TWO OR MORE TEAMS for the Playoff round,. The tie will be broken by applying the following Tie Breakers, IN SEQUENCE UNTIL the tie (s) is (are) broken for ALL teams originally involved in the tie or ties and the corresponding seeds are awarded: Record, Head-to-Head, Tries Scored, Points Scored, Try Differential, Point Differential, Penalty Kicks and Coin Toss.

Matches in the Playoff round will consist of two seven-minute halves and a two-minute halftime. In the Cup Division, the first-ranked team will play the fourth-ranked team. Similarly, the second-ranked team will play the third-ranked team. Similar match-ups will be played in the Plate Division – fifth plays eighth and sixth plays seventh. In case of a drawn match in the Playoff round at the end of regulation time, the teams will compete in a “sudden death” overtime to determine the winner. Sudden death periods in the Playoff round – Cup and Plate divisions – will be five minutes in duration with a two-minute break. These periods will continue until a team scores.

Consolation Round

Teams that do not advance to the Playoff Round will play a single consolation match based upon their performance in the Seeding Round. If 12 teams participated, for example, two consolation matches would be played with the 9th ranked team playing the 10th ranked teams and the 11th ranked team playing the 12th ranked team.

Players are required to play consolation matches, if offered, or be subject to sanctions for future Rock-n-Roll Tournaments. Tournaments must post information about consolation draws to the tournament web page.

Sides are required to participate in consolation matches, unless a medical, or inclement weather, waiver is granted by the tournament director.

Championship Round

In the Championship round, the Playoff round winners in the Cup Division compete for the Cup Championship and Cup Runners-Up. The Playoff round losers of the Cup division will play a consolation match to determine third and fourth place.

Similarly, the Playoff round winners of the Plate division will compete for fifth and sixth place and the losers will compete for seventh and eighth place.

Matches in the Championship round will consist of two seven-minute halves with a two-minute halftime, except for the Cup Championship Final, which will be ten minutes long. In case of a tie in the final round of the Cup or Plate finals at the end of regulation time, the teams will compete in “sudden death” overtime to determine the winner. Sudden death periods will be five minutes in duration with a one-minute break. These periods will continue until a team scores.

National Qualifier Series Competition Rules and Regulations as set by Midwest Rugby Union

All matches in the Qualifier Series will be held in accordance with the Laws of the Game – as specified by the International Rugby Board – as well as any and all applicable guidelines set forth by USA Rugby and the MCR, including USA Rugby Eligibility Requirements as described at the following link: www.usarugby.org/eligibility

Teams should bring a printed CIPP roster to the qualifier and then simply name and abide by their 12-player roster on-site before their first match.

Competition Details

Each of the events selected as a Qualifier host will organize an elite bracket in which the Men’s and/or Women’s teams will compete for a chance to represent the Midwest RFU in a National Championship.

The Qualifier Bracket will exhibit the following characteristics and restrictions:

Each leg of the series will be held in the Midwest Territory between June and late July.

It will consist of the following three rounds of play – Seeding, Playoff and Championship – as described below.

The Top Eight teams are guaranteed five matches on each leg of the series, barring unforeseen forfeits or a lack of an appropriate number of teams (i.e. if only five teams registered for the event, one team may only get three matches).

All teams are guaranteed four matches on each leg of the series, barring unforeseen forfeits or a lack of appropriate number of teams (i.e. if only five teams registered for the event, one team may only get three matches).

Men’s teams not eligible for National Championships (i.e. from outside the region or teams with ineligible players) are not permitted in the Qualifier Bracket. This restriction does not yet apply to Women’s Qualifier brackets.

Pre-event entry fees for the Qualifier Bracket must not exceed $300, not including any applicable handling fees.

Registration for each leg of the series will remain open until one week prior to the event. After this time, registration may be closed at the discretion of the event organizer.

Teams will be given at least 40 minutes or more between matches, barring extenuating circumstances that cause significant delays such as lightning or serious injury.

Event organizers are free to set the start time but once the Qualifier matches begin all efforts must be made to complete all the matches in seven hours or less, barring extenuating circumstances that cause significant delays such as lightning or serious injury.

Seeding Round

Teams in the seeding round will be seeded in advance by the MCR. Based first upon the current standings, brackets of four teams will be created, with the first bracket containing the first-seeded team, the second bracket containing the second-seeded team and so on. When one team has been assigned to each bracket, the remaining seeds will be assigned to each bracket by the MCR through a random draw. The drawing will ideally will occur the weekend prior to the tournament. But it shall be done no later than by the Wednesday prior to the tournament.

In the event the number of teams does not allow for four brackets of four teams, the MCR will still be responsible for randomly seeding the teams into brackets using a standard template approved by the MWFU prior to the start of the Series. Furthermore the MCR has a bracket template for six, 10, 12 and 14 team events.

Matches in the Seeding round will consist of two seven-minute halves and a two-minute halftime. Each team will play three matches in the seeding round – barring unforeseen forfeits, ideally in four four-team brackets. In each group, a team plays a single match against each of the other teams in the brackets. Tie-breakers will not be played for any draws in the Seeding round and forfeits will automatically be assigned a score of 28-0 – four converted tries – in favor of the team that does not forfeit.

Playoff Rounds

The results of the Seeding Matches will be used to rank the teams, and those top eight teams with the best records will advance to the Playoff round. At most, eight teams will advance to the Playoff round. The top four teams will comprise the Cup division and the remaining teams will comprise the Plate division.

In the event of a tie when ranking TWO OR MORE TEAMS for the Playoff round,. The tie will be broken by applying the following Tie Breakers, IN SEQUENCE UNTIL the tie (s) is (are) broken for ALL teams originally involved in the tie or ties and the corresponding seeds are awarded: Record, Head-to-Head, Tries Scored, Points Scored, Try Differential, Point Differential, Penalty Kicks and Coin Toss.

Matches in the Playoff round will consist of two seven-minute halves and a two-minute halftime. In the Cup Division, the first-ranked team will play the fourth-ranked team. Similarly, the second-ranked team will play the third-ranked team. Similar match-ups will be played in the Plate Division – fifth plays eighth and sixth plays seventh. In case of a drawn match in the Playoff round at the end of regulation time, the teams will compete in a “sudden death” overtime to determine the winner. Sudden death periods in the Playoff round – Cup and Plate divisions – will be five minutes in duration with a two-minute break. These periods will continue until a team scores.

Consolation Round

Teams that do not advance to the Playoff Round will play a single consolation match based upon their performance in the Seeding Round. If 12 teams participated, for example, two consolation matches would be played with the 9th ranked team playing the 10th ranked teams and the 11th ranked team playing the 12th ranked team.

Players are required to play consolation matches, if offered, or be subject to USTA NorCal Point Penalty Suspension System. Tournaments must post information about consolation draws to the tournament web page.

Sides are required to participate in consolation matches, unless a medical, or inclement weather, waiver is granted by the tournament director. Failure to participate in consolation round matches without a waiver will be result in the following sanctions:

First time offense: subtraction of all qualifier points for the respective event

Championship Round

In the Championship round, the Playoff round winners in the Cup Division compete for the Cup Championship and Cup Runners-Up. The Playoff round losers of the Cup division will play a consolation match to determine third and fourth place.

Similarly, the Playoff round winners of the Plate division will compete for fifth and sixth place and the losers will compete for seventh and eighth place.

Matches in the Championship round will consist of two seven-minute halves with a two-minute halftime, except for the Cup Championship Final, which will be ten minutes long. In case of a tie in the final round of the Cup or Plate finals at the end of regulation time, the teams will compete in “sudden death” overtime to determine the winner. Sudden death periods will be five minutes in duration with a one-minute break. These periods will continue until a team scores.

Series Points and Advancement to Nationals

Teams will be selected for the MCR Championships based on points accumulated at each event as follows:

At each event, points will be awarded to teams in the Qualifier bracket based on a team places in the tournament as follows:

First place – 12 points

Second place – 11 points

Third place – 10 points

Fourth place – 9 points

Fifth place – 8 points

Sixth place – 7 points

Seventh place – 6 points

Eighth place – 5 points

Ninth place and below – 2 points

Any forfeits by teams in any round will result in a two-point penalty for each forfeited match. The top four teams from the East and the top four teams from the West Qualifier Groups will compete in a MWRFU Championship Tournament to determine the Teams which will advance to the National Championships

“Golden Ticket”

If a club finishes in first place in each of the respective qualifying tournaments, it will automatically qualify for the USAR National Championship. The MCR Championship Tournament shall be held then to identify the second qualifier from the region.

If any Club shall finish in first place for each Qualifier Event, then that Club shall automatically qualify for the USAR National Championship. The MCR Championship Tournament shall be held then to identify the second qualifier from the Region.

Please note that National Championships are organized by USA Rugby. As such, the number of teams advancing to the National playoff from each territorial or geographical union is determined by USA Rugby. Historically, two men’s and two women’s teams advance to National from the Midwest RFU.

Series Tiebreaker

In the event of a tie when ranking TWO OR MORE TEAMS for the MCR Championship,. The tie will be broken by applying the following Tie Breakers, IN SEQUENCE UNTIL the tie (s) is (are) broken for ALL teams originally involved in the tie or ties and the corresponding seeds are awarded: Record, Head-to-Head, Tries Scored, Points Scored, Try Differential, Point Differential, Penalty Kicks and Coin Toss.

Medical and Safety

Maintaining the safety of all participants – players, spectators, match officials, etc. – is of paramount importance. Event organizers will endeavor to reduce the likelihood of serious injury by implementing the following safety measures:

A dedicated, covered medical area with medical tables and five Trainers. This will be in a centralized location adjacent to the Tournament Administration Pavilion or provided at the fields as appropriate for the size of the event. Trainers will be available one hour prior to the first match and one half hour after the final match. A trainer will be provided for initial medical evaluation and treatment during matches.

A dedicated, on-call ambulance with a maximum response time of ten minutes. The direct telephone number for the ambulance service must be provided in advance to all participants (i.e. in the event program or via e-mail) and is 440-951-4600.

Tape and ice will be available in the Medical Area at all times.

Hospital Information

Injured players will be taken to Lake Hospital located at West 36000 Euclid ave, Willoughby Ohio. 440-951-4600

Concessions and Vendors

Festival Area central to the tournament will include:
3 various Food Trucks
Common Fare Concession Tent selling snacks, water, and other soft drinks
O’Neills Representative Tent
Tournament Merchandise Tent
Other Vendors/Tents as Sponsorships are Sold

Tournament Social and Post-Tournament Cleveland Crawl

A: No. Due to the large number of teams, varying arrival times and the early start it is not possible to get all Captains to meet prior to the tournament. We will send each team an Official Tournament Team Participant Package and Insurance Waivers in the weeks prior to the tournament with the finalized information and documentation. We ask that your team be ready to play at least ten (10) minutes before your game time at your assigned pitch, ready to meet with your scheduled referee(s) for prompt gameplay.

Q: How can I find tournament information after the team is entered?

A: Tournament Brackets are not set until the Thursday before the tournament before 6:00 PM EST. This is due to the large number of teams that either enter late or wait to pay the tournament fee. Teams and division listings will be updated on clevelandcrusadersrugby.com as they are received. Contact the member of your team who has registered your team for the tournament. We prefer that he/she be the only person to contact the Tournament Directors for information.

Q: How many games do teams play?

A: Each team is scheduled for a minimum of 3 games. However, the Tournament is not responsible for “No Shows.” If a team is “no show” at their first game we try and replace that team. If your team fails to show for a game, we will consider that for future tournament entries—being a “no show” may affect your acceptance in subsequent tournaments.

Q: Why are we not in the bracket we requested?

A: In order to have efficient use of field time and to schedule all the teams in the tournament we will move teams to fill brackets. We consider requests and try to ensure fair, competitive games. The best way to get your requested bracket is to enter early. Preference comes to earliest dates of entry.

The Positive: Repeat entries, make all your games, prompt on-time payment, adherence to the rules of the city of Mentor, the Park, and World Rugby Laws and appropriate demeanor.

The Negative: Force Tournament Directors to chase down payment, late entry, red & yellow cards and other infractions during gameplay, infractions against tournament, park, and/or government policies.

Q: What places get trophies?

A: We award Champions and Runners-Up in each Division.

Q: Why can’t we bring beer to the park?

A: This is a City of Mentor Public Park and unfortunately due to city regulations, the Tournament can not condone alcoholic beverages. The Tournament provides an entertaining Social at a location with an affiliated social partner inclusive of libation and sustenance for teams aged 21 and over after the tournament experience. Details TBA with the Official Team Participant Information package to be sent out in the weeks prior to the Tournament. .

Q: When are the trophies awarded?

A: We will present them approximately fifteen (15) minutes after your team’s Championship game at the Tournament Administration Pavilion central to the tournament site plan. With receipt of an award, your team agrees to full team picture(s) with award at the Tournament Administration Pavilion, and the said picture(s) are the property of the Tournament for any use deemed necessary to promote future Tournaments.